Chiaroscuro
by luckyj525
Summary: A series of random vignettes, episode tags, drabbles, etc. Some AU. All Klaroline.
1. Game On

**DISCLAIMER.** not mine.

**CHAPTER.** game on.

**SETTING:** 3x9, homecoming.

**T-H-E-V-A-M-P-I-R-E-D-I-A-R-I-E-S**

Klaus walked around the Lockwood's estate, his eyes looking everywhere and nowhere at once. He was close, he was _so close_, to having everything. His hybrids, his siblings, and his freedom. If Mikael was truly dead, Klaus was free. Even if Mikael wasn't dead yet, Klaus planned on taking care of that tonight. Everything was going to go perfectly.

Everything had to go perfectly. Klaus had waited too long, a thousand years too long, and now was finally his time. He could feel it. He was on the cusp of something, something great, and nothing was going to stop him from getting it. He had plans, he had power, he was about to truly have his freedom; he was going to have everything he had ever wanted.

Klaus made his way towards the band playing on the stage in the back. He scanned the crowd, trying to keep his thoughts calm. It wouldn't do to overthink anything. Mikael would love to know just how much time Klaus spent thinking about him.

A flash of blonde caught Klaus' attention. His eyes tracked the baby vampire as she made her way towards a keg. _Caroline Forbes_, he thought, running through what he knew about her. _Turned by Katerina, with the stupid Salvatore's blood. Friends with the doppelganger and the witch. Tyler's girlfriend._

The girl next to her said something, and Caroline smiled. Her eyes were bright, her straight white teeth gleaming, and she seemed to glow with an inner light. Klaus watched her for a moment longer. He'd seen prettier girls, to be sure, but there was something about this one.

Tyler came up to Klaus. "Hey," he said.

Tyler was his first successful hybrid, and as such Klaus allowed him a certain indulgence. He would probably tire of Tyler soon enough, but for now he had no problem playing nice with the stupid little Lockwood. Klaus didn't deign to reply to Tyler's greeting, however. No need for Tyler to become overly familiar.

"My mom would seriously freak if she saw all these people here," Tyler said as he and Klaus walked down the stairs and closer to the crowd.

Klaus smiled. "Your mother won't be a problem; I compelled her to go to church and pray for your friends."

Tyler's expression was one of dumb confusion, and Klaus bit back a sigh. Of course he knew he was smarter than the average supernatural being but still, Tyler did seem exceptionally slow. "What are you talking about?" Tyler asked.

In that moment, Klaus realized what he'd been thinking about for a while now. Tyler had to learn that just because he was Klaus' first hybrid, he wasn't _that_ special. He was nothing compared to his sire. Klaus was the alpha here, and always.

And what better way to prove his alpha status than to steal Tyler's girlfriend? Klaus already knew Tyler did whatever the blonde vampire said. It would crush poor Tyler's dull sensibilities if his girlfriend left him for Klaus.

And wouldn't that be fun? It was almost time for Klaus to have some real fun in his life.

But he could think about that later. Klaus turned his attention back to Tyler. "I want you to look around," he said. "There is Bonnie, there is Elena and Matt and there's your pretty little girlfriend Caroline."

_Pretty little Caroline_.

**fin.**


	2. Just You & Me

**DISCLAIMER.** not mine.

**CHAPTER.** just you & me.

**SETTING:** 200 years in the future.

**T-H-E-V-A-M-P-I-R-E-D-I-A-R-I-E-S**

"Finally," Damon said as Caroline and Elena walked through the front door of Caroline's apartment. "I can't believe you left me here with him."

Caroline rolled her eyes as Elena kissed Damon's cheek. "Don't be a baby, Damon," Caroline said.

Damon glared at Caroline. "Yeah Damon," Elena added teasingly, but Damon didn't glare at her.

Caroline made a face. Was Damon pouting? "Easy for you to say," he whined. "You weren't stuck with him all day."

"Hey, I was shopping with Caroline," Elena muttered.

Caroline placed her shopping bags on the floor. "I can hear you, Elena," she said, putting a hand on her hip.

Elena smiled to let Caroline know she was mostly joking. Caroline cocked her head, frowning. It was rare that Klaus wasn't there to greet her when she returned to their apartment. "Where's Klaus?" she asked.

Damon looked up from poking through Elena's shopping bags. "He got pissed I was drinking his scotch, threatened to kill me, got really pissed when I said he wouldn't dare because of Caroline, then we kinda fought a little bit, ending with him compelling me not to leave the apartment and him storming out."

Elena shook her head. "Damon!" Caroline exclaimed. "Are you seriously still an ass after all these years?"

"He started it," Damon retorted.

"This is his home, you could try and be polite."

Elena collected her bags and brought them upstairs as Caroline and Damon continued to argue. Some variation of this happened every time Damon and Elena met up with Caroline and Klaus, but Caroline insisted on seeing her friends at least once a year.

Elena took her time putting the clothes away and changing before heading back downstairs. She walked down the hallway and turned a corner to find herself face-to-face with Klaus. "Oh!" she said, surprised.

"Hello Elena," Klaus said.

"Klaus. Hi. I didn't know you were here – does Caroline know you're here?"

"As she's still arguing with Damon, no, I don't think she's noticed."

His tone was as terrifyingly polite as always, but Elena knew he hated it when she and Damon came to visit. Damon bitched and moaned about going to see Caroline and Klaus as well , but Elena knew that deep down he wanted to come. Over the past two centuries, Caroline and Damon had become friends. Bickering, petty friends, but friends nonetheless.

Neither Elena nor Damon had become friends with Klaus. They had learned to tolerate Klaus, and he had stopped threatening them and trying to kill them, but they weren't friends. Elena and Damon put up with him because of Caroline, and Elena assumed Klaus also tried to behave for Caroline's sake.

"Elena!" Damon yelled up the stairs.

"Seriously? You have to yell? Why can't you just flash over to her like a normal vampire?" Caroline sniped.

"No one's stopping you from doing it, Blondie."

Caroline ran up the stairs and found Elena standing with Klaus. "Elena! We're going out to this bar I know. "

Caroline turned her attention to Klaus. "Hi! When did you come back?"

She put a hand on his chest and kissed his cheek. Klaus' hand came to rest on her hip. "I came in the back while you and Damon were bickering," Klaus replied.

Damon suddenly appeared at the top of the stairs. Elena went to him, putting distance between herself and Klaus, and Damon put his arm around her. "You'll have to be more specific," Damon said, a smirk lifting one side of his mouth.

Klaus' expression didn't change, but his eyes hardened. Damon didn't care, and Caroline didn't notice, but Elena did and she instinctively moved closer to Damon. Caroline smiled brightly. "We can all go to Planet Pluto," she said to Klaus, naming one of her favorite bars.

Klaus shook his head. "I still feel the urge to rip a certain someone's heart out," he said, causing Damon to roll his eyes. "So I should probably keep my distance."

Caroline didn't try and convince him to come. Damon and Elena had been there a week, and Klaus had already spent a lot of time with them. She knew he only did it for her. "Okay," she said.

She leaned in and gave Klaus a kiss, causing Damon to gag and pull Elena downstairs. Klaus' grip on her hip tightened. "Watch yourself out there, love," he said when Caroline broke the kiss.

She smiled at him. "I will."

**T-H-E-V-A-M-P-I-R-E-D-I-A-R-I-E-S**

A few hours later, Caroline was drunk. She, Damon, and Elena had been dancing crazily to the music playing at the bar and having a good time. Finally Elena said she needed a break. "I'm sooooo tired," Elena said with a giggle.

Damon hooked an arm around her neck. "You're sooooo drunk."

"What time is it?" Caroline wondered. "We should probably get home."

"Klaus give you a curfew?" Damon asked, squinting his eyes at her.

Caroline tossed her head. "No."

"Caroline," Elena said, with the serious tone that only the truly wasted ever adopted. "Klaus hates it when me and Damon are here."

"No," Caroline protested weakly. "He just…was tired."

Damon scoffed. "Yeah. Right. Delusional much?"

Elena hit Damon's arm half-heartedly. "Damon."

She turned her gaze to Caroline. "But seriously Caroline. I think he feels neglected."

Caroline blinked once, slowly, but Elena's words refused to compute in her brain. "What?"

"Like how Damon's a whiny bitch when I don't pay attention to him," Elena explained.

"Hey! I'm right here," Damon said irritably.

Elena smiled. "See?"

Caroline shook her head. "You're drunk," she informed Elena.

Caroline stood and tugged on Damon's arm. "Come on, let's go."

The three of them managed to find their way back to Caroline's apartment. Damon was practically carrying Elena as they went up the stairs, and they disappeared into the guest room as Caroline crept into her and Klaus' bedroom. The room was dark, but Caroline could make out Klaus' form lying in bed. "Have a good time, sweetheart?" came his voice quietly.

Caroline cocked her head for a moment before kicking off her shoes. There was something off about his tone. Maybe Elena was right. Caroline shimmied out of her dress and then went to the bed. She crawled in and laid on top of Klaus. She was only wearing a bra and panties, and he was in his underwear. Caroline stretched out so every part of her body was touching his. She nuzzled her face into his neck and gently kissed his throat. Klaus' arms came around her, anchoring Caroline to his body.

After a moment Caroline spoke. "We had a good time. Drank a lot. I think one of the best things about being a vampire is no hangovers."

Klaus chuckled. "You're back earlier than I expected."

"Maybe I missed you," Caroline said. "I've been busy a lot this past week."

Klaus stroked a hand up her back. "This is nice," she said softly. "Just you and me."

Caroline swore she could _feel _him smile.

**fin.**


	3. Three

**DISCLAIMER.** not mine.

**CHAPTER.** three.

**SETTING:** 1 year in the future.

**T-H-E-V-A-M-P-I-R-E-D-I-A-R-I-E-S**

"Need some help, love?" came an all-too-familiar voice.

Caroline's eyes widened slightly but she didn't dare turn around. She was surrounded by four vampires and she couldn't afford to lose her focus. "Come to join the party?" one of them taunted to the man behind Caroline. "You can have her when we're done."

He flashed over and tore the vampire's heart out. "I don't share," Caroline heard him say, and despite everything going on at the moment she felt the urge to roll her eyes.

Caroline threw one of the attacking vampires away from her, and he hit a tree before falling to the ground. She whirled to find Klaus standing behind her, his back facing her, as the other two vampires approached. "I'm not yours," Caroline reminded Klaus.

He looked at her over his shoulder and grinned wolfishly. "Do you really think now's the time for a lovers' quarrel?"

Without taking his eyes off Caroline, he reached a hand out and ripped out the heart of the vampire who thought he could sneak up on him. "We are _not_ - " Caroline started indignantly, before being interrupted by a scream of rage from the remaining vampire.

Growling, Caroline leapt over and headed him off by grabbing him by the throat and then snapping his neck. Then she turned to face her surprise savior. "Klaus, what are you doing here?"

Klaus held up a finger. "Just a minute, love."

Caroline's eyes narrowed. "Stop calling me that."

But then she heard the same thing he had. The vampire Caroline had thrown against a tree had come to and was now charging towards them. Klaus lunged and ripped out his heart mid-movement.

He gave Caroline a disapproving look. "Always kill your enemies," he instructed.

Before she could respond, Klaus went over to the vampire who was lying on the ground with a broken neck. He bent over and ripped out the last vampire's heart as well.

"Klaus," Caroline started to say, but his head whipped up and he pinned her with his stare.

"Did you really think I'd leave any of them alive? They attacked you," he said, walking towards her.

His eyes were slightly yellow as he spoke and Caroline realized that despite his casual tone and the ease with which he'd dispatched her assailants, Klaus was actually very, very angry. Caroline let out a breath, unsure of what to say.

Then, with a slight frown, she realized Klaus had never answered her question. "What are you doing here?" she repeated.

Klaus came to a stop in front of her and reached down to take hold of her hand. "I heard you were in trouble, and as a gentleman felt I must come to your aid."

He brought her hand to his mouth and kissed it. Caroline hadn't been expecting that and she froze for a second before coming to her senses and snatching her hand away. "Well...thanks," she said unwillingly. "I really think I had it in control though."

There were hints of disappointment and worry in his eyes, which Caroline determinedly ignored. "Are you hurt?" he asked.

Caroline didn't understand why he always played the caring card with her. "No," she replied. "I'm fine."

She took a step back, putting distance between them. "I should be going. Are you - are you back in town?"

Klaus shook his head, looking rueful at Caroline's dismissal. "No."

He didn't explain any further, and Caroline didn't ask. Caroline shifted her weight awkwardly. "Try to stay out of trouble, Caroline," Klaus said.

Caroline took a breath, hesitated, then said with more sincerity, "Klaus. Thank you."

Klaus' eyes locked with hers and Caroline forgot to tear her gaze away. They stared at each other for a moment, neither one saying a word and the air thick between them, until Klaus smiled and broke the silence. "Of course."

Caroline turned and started walking away. "Caroline!" Klaus called after her.

Caroline stopped and turned, eyeing Klaus suspiciously. "That's three times now."

"What?" Caroline asked, confused.

He smirked. "Three times I've saved your life," he clarified.

The earlier tension disappeared and Caroline let out an irritated huff at his reminder. She turned back around and flounced off.

The smirk didn't leave Klaus' face as he watched her walk away.

**fin.**


	4. Daddy Dearest

**DISCLAIMER.** not mine.

**CHAPTER.** daddy dearest.

**SETTING:** 90 years in the future.

**T-H-E-V-A-M-P-I-R-E-D-I-A-R-I-E-S**

Klaus jerked awake, his eyes flying open but his body otherwise remaining still. He took a second to process what it was that had caused him to awaken - it was the middle of the night, after all, and he had been sound asleep in his own bed - when he heard a soft, pained moan from the woman lying next to him. Klaus sat up and leaned over Caroline, shaking her gently. "Caroline, wake up."

"Noooo," Caroline said, still trapped in her nightmare.

Concerned, Klaus shook her harder and his soft voice turned into a sharp bark. "Caroline!"

Caroline's eyes opened. They were blind with pain and fear for the briefest of seconds, until she realized she had been dreaming and was actually safe in bed with Klaus. She sat up. "Sorry," she whispered.

Klaus ran a hand up her arm reassuringly, ignoring the pang of hurt when she tensed up before relaxing and letting him put his arm around her. "Why are you apologizing, love?" he asked.

She shrugged, looking down at the bed covers. Klaus cupped her chin, forcing Caroline to meet his eyes. "Bad nightmare?" he prompted.

Slowly, Caroline nodded. "My father," she said.

Klaus' thumb stroked her cheek. He remembered when Caroline's father had chosen to die rather than become a vampire like his daughter. "I'm sorry you had to watch him die," Klaus said sincerely.

There was a pause, and Klaus' hand stilled when he saw a look of hesitation on Caroline's face. "It wasn't that," she finally admitted.

She looked down at her lap again as she said, "The nightmare was about when he tried to fix me."

Caroline peeked up at Klaus to see him looking at her with a worried curiosity. "Caroline, what do you mean by that," he asked seriously.

Caroline spoke haltingly. "You know when Tyler left Mystic Falls to break his sire bond?"

Klaus nodded, not knowing where this was going. He and Caroline _never _talked about Tyler. "We went to my dad when Tyler wanted to break the sire bond. Damon tried to compel my dad once, and it didn't work. He'd conditioned his mind so he couldn't be compelled. So we thought – "

Tired of hearing Caroline refer to Tyler and herself as _we_, Klaus interrupted. "You thought your father could teach Tyler mind control."

Caroline nodded. "Yes. So he worked with Tyler, explained how he could help fix him. He said if Tyler voluntarily went through the pain of turning into a wolf – if he did it over and over again, feeling that pain, breaking every bone in his body, that it would…help."

"Pain as a way to teach yourself control," Klaus summarized.

"Yes."

There was a hint of horrified disbelief in Klaus' eyes. "Caroline, what did your father do to fix you?"

Caroline's eyes were sad. "When he found out I was a vampire, he chained me in a dungeon below the house and tortured me. He didn't want me to have vampire urges. He said he wanted to fix me."

"Oh, sweetheart," Klaus said, his expression sympathetic.

He pulled Caroline into his lap and was pleased when she curled into him, seeking comfort. Klaus felt as if his cold, dead heart warmed a little bit. "You don't need to be fixed, Caroline," he said, his mouth against her ear. "You're beautiful and perfect just the way you are."

Caroline turned her face into his chest. "It weirds me out when you're sweet," she said, her voice muffled.

Klaus let out a short laugh. "What if I told you I'd never let anyone hurt you, because I'd rip their hearts out first?"

Caroline pulled away slightly so she could look at him. "That sounds more like you."

Klaus brought his hand to her face again but this time his grip was gentler. He leaned in and kissed her, then rested his forehead against hers. "You never told me this about your father before," he said.

"I don't like to talk about it," she replied.

Caroline touched his hair, running her fingers through his curls. "Besides," she added. "I'm not the only one with daddy issues."

Klaus couldn't help it; his whole body tensed at the mention of Mikael. His "father" had been dead for almost a century, but sometimes it seemed like just yesterday Klaus had been on the run from him. "Mikael's gone," Klaus said shortly.

Caroline gently scratched his scalp, not saying anything. They sat in silence for a moment, simply absorbing warmth and comfort from each other. "Mikael loved my mother very much," Klaus mused aloud. "And he had so much pride. Knowing she had been with another man – I think it broke him."

Caroline snorted. "I didn't like your mother, but it's not her fault Michael spent centuries hunting down their children."

Klaus rubbed his hand up and down Caroline's back. "He loved her and she betrayed him. If I had irrefutable proof that you had been with another man, I would – "

Caroline put her hand over his mouth. "Don't," she said seriously. "I wouldn't do that to you."

Klaus' eyes met hers, and she lowered her hand. "Do you swear?" he asked.

Caroline put her arms around his neck. "I swear."

Klaus gave her one of his genuine smiles, and Caroline couldn't help but smile in return.

**fin.**


	5. Century

**DISCLAIMER.** not mine.

**CHAPTER.** century.

**SETTING:** 4 years in the future.

**T-H-E-V-A-M-P-I-R-E-D-I-A-R-I-E-S**

"What more do you _want_ from me?" Klaus bit out, frustrated.

Caroline crossed her arms. "You can't just _give_ me something and expect – "

Klaus started pacing, ranting but not shouting. "Yes, I know. You don't want me to buy you things, you don't want me to talk to you, you don't want me to bloody fancy you."

Caroline remained silent. "Do you enjoy it?" Klaus asked cruelly. "Making me feel this way, denying me over and over?"

Caroline took a deep, angry breath. "Seriously?" she exclaimed.

Unlike Klaus, Caroline's voice grew louder with each word she spoke. "What am I supposed to do? My friends are my family, and you know how important they are to me! Did you forget you've killed, you've ruined lives, you've caused them hurt? And I'm just supposed to forget all that, forget my loyalty and love for them, because you buy me diamonds or tell me I'm full of light? Klaus, what would that make me?"

Klaus took a step towards her but Caroline, unsure whether he wanted to attack her or comfort her but not wanting him to have the chance to do either one, retreated. He stopped. "So there's nothing I can do?" Klaus asked. "I won't accept that."

Caroline wanted to scream in frustration – except for that tiny part of her that didn't. Because he _had_ saved her life three times, and he _had_ bought her expensive gifts, and he _had_ given her thoughtful tokens, and he _did_ always compliment her, and he _had_ promised he wouldn't give up on her and he _wouldn't_. Everyone in Caroline's life gave up on her at some point. Usually it was because she pushed them away even when she wanted to bring them closer.

Caroline was starting to think that maybe Klaus meant it. Maybe he could love her, maybe he did want her. She was ashamed that a tiny part of her wanted that. How could she, after all he'd done to Elena? She would keep pushing him away. She had to, now – but did she have to resist him forever?

Caroline licked her lips nervously before saying, her voice quiet, "You told me once that I would show up at your door. In a year, or twenty years, or one hundred years. Right now I can't – I can't."

At Caroline's words Klaus moved forward and gripped her arms, struggling to keep his expression from showing the excitement suddenly coursing through him. "All right love. You'll have your century."

Caroline immediately regretted giving him hope. Had she just made a deal with the devil? Was Klaus going to disappear now, only to pop up in a hundred years to claim her?

Klaus let go of Caroline and gave her his usual smirk, all traces of his former frustration and anger gone. "Don't worry. I'll still pop in and visit. Wouldn't want you to miss me."

Caroline let out an irritated breath as Klaus sauntered away from her. "I won't!" she yelled after him.

But there was a hint of a smile on her face.

**fin.**


End file.
